Welcome to our Tudor Tuesdays SAL. This is a place to celebrate all things Tudor! Feel free to post your Tudor stitching and any fascinating Tudor facts (and fiction!) on any given Tuesday in the month. You can join at anytime throughout the year and choose which months you wish to stitch and post Tudor-related facts. There will be the occasional giveaway, maybe some quizzes and competitions and definitely lots of FUN!

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Tuesday, 25 August 2015

I love exploring the history behind things. I got hooked on gold work when taking a seminar from The Royal House of Needlework several years ago. Here's my second project in the works. It's from an ANG Correspondence Course called "English Heart I":

Goldwork is believed to have originated in China centuries
ago.It spread to Egypt, to Italy and
Spain, Western Europe and eventually to North America. Goldwork can even be found in
the tombs of the pharaohs.

Gold
has historically been a symbol of affluence and high social status. It’s one of
the oldest form of English embroidery with records dating before the 10th
century. Goldwork was traditionally created for church vestments and trappings.
Because specially trained groups created this embroidery, only the very wealthy
could afford to retain the artisans. It was classed as a great art, because of
its fine art concept and historical properties.

“Then came Henry the VIII’s
reign, which brought an end to this glorious period in English Goldwork
Embroidery. With his split from the Catholic Church, the destruction of all
things connected with Goldwork Embroidery was the order of the day.

“As
with everything Catholic, they were destroyed or melted down for their gold
content value. The loss of all these valuable garments the quality of which
will never be reproduced again was inestimable." Information Courtesy of The Golden Hinde

Though
Henry VIII destroyed thousands of valuable garments, he didn’t flinch when it
came to his own attire. He had his clothing embellished to gold and jewels.
Elizabeth I was known for her richly embellished dresses and robes.

Unfortunately,
today it’s an uncommon skill, as few embroiderers work this fine art today. I encourage you to go to The Golden Hinde for more
information. The website is rich with information about this fabulous form of embroidery.

Monday, 17 August 2015

Oh dear - I seem to be a bit wanting after taking the House of Tudor Quiz. My score was average - 1081/1500. The countdown clock kind of rattled me a bit, but it was fun. Pop on over and see if you can better my score. It was fun!

Tuesday, 11 August 2015

I just read "Dear Henry: Confessions of the Queens" by Judith Arnopp. It was an interesting spin and insight into what she thought the queens must have thought in their last days. A short read, but worth the time.

Another book that is very well done by Ms. Arnopp is "A Song of Sixpence". It's the story of Elizabeth of York and Perkin Warbeck. Told in the first person, I found myself as conflicted as Elizabeth and the choices she was forced to make throughout her life. This is truly a book for any Tudorphile.

Saturday, 8 August 2015

My Swapaway Friend, Kim (Wisdom with Needle and Thread), and I are Tudorphiles (aka, Tudor Crazy Ladies). Anything Tudor strikes our fancy. A few years ago, I started a “Tudor Tuesday” Facebook page so we could share any Tudor stitching-themed pieces with other Tudor-crazed fans.

Well, Kim and I always seem to be on the same wave-length (even though we live 9,517 miles apart). Whilst chatting on Gmail the other day, Kim asked me if I thought a “Tudor Tuesday” blog would be a good idea, as some people LOVE the Tudors, as well, but don’t belong to Facebook. My exact response was

"Hi Kim, We are SSF - I just thought of that about five mins ago! lol!”

So – we have just launched this new blog called “Tudor Tuesdays”. It will be for Tudor Fanatics to post about anything Tudor (on any Tuesday of the month). It can be about books, movies, TV shows, stitching, interesting Tudor history factoids….whatever you’d like to share with other Tudorphiles.

So – without any further adieu, let’s play! Please join us! Simply comment here or send either Kim or I a note you’d like to join us and discover more about everything Tudor!

P.S. You know you’re a Tudorphile when your husband and your children refuse to go on an overseas holiday to London with you because they just KNOW that you will drag them to see Hampton Court Palace AGAIN! OR

You know you're a Tudorphile whenever you mention Henry VIII and you get an 'eye roll' from your daughter and husband. They both sigh and say - in unison - "NOT AGAIN!"